


The Electric Tale of Seth

by ChurchXC



Series: The Electric Tale of Seth [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-03-09 10:25:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18915055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChurchXC/pseuds/ChurchXC
Summary: Seth always wanted to become a Pokemon Master. To achieve that goal, he has gone to Kanto to follow in Red's footsteps.





	1. Chapter 1

_People ask me why I didn’t stay in Johto._

_Or why I didn’t at least start in Saffron City. After all, they said, it has one of the best trainer schools in Kanto. We sill have friends there! You can come back and visit us easier!_

_I don’t think they understood that if I was going to do this, I was going to do this right._

_If I was going to become a trainer, to try and become the best and make sure the best sticks around, I would have to go to the best place to start as a trainer possible. I’d have to go to the definitive Pokemon Professor._

_So that’s how I ended up in the Pokemon Trainer Academy in Pallet Town._

Seth dropped his pen as the lights clicked off. Sighing, he scooted the simple chair out from behind the desk and ran a hand through his messy black hair. “Oh come on, again?” he muttered. Shuffling over to the light switch, he gave it a flick. Then another one. And a third one.

Nothing. Not even a hum.

Sticking his hands in his pockets, he slouched his way to the front door of the small dorm. A few of the other teenagers were grumbling as he passed their doors. This was the third time today the power had seemingly gone out to a section of the dorms, and so far no one had done a thing.

He grumbled as he pulled open the door. There had to be something outside that was causing it. Maybe he could find out if there was a line down or… Well, he wasn’t sure what he could do, but he could at least look. It was better than doing nothing again.

His eyes narrowed slightly as the bright sunlight hit him. He raised a hand to shade his eyes and almost gagged. There was a thick smell of ozone the second he walked outside.

Yeah, something was wrong.

Shaking his head, he pushed onwards. Was a line snapped? That would cause the smell. Or…

Jumping off the porch, he heard splinters cracking under his feet.

“What?” he muttered. There was a hole the wood porch. “What made you…” he asked. Dropping to his hands and knees, he carefully moved the broken wood out of the way and started to look underneath the porch. There was something moving under there but he couldn’t tell what.

He pushed himself back up and knocked the grass off of his cargo pants before he ran inside to grab a flashlight. Running back out, he clicked it on and peered under the porch.

“Pika!”

“Woah!” Seth backed up instinctively. A wild pikachu was sitting there, a tangle of wires in front of it. It peered back at him, dropping the wire from it’s hands.

“Were… were you eating the electricity out of the wires?” Seth muttered aloud. He had heard of that happening, but back in Goldenrod, he’d never actually seen it happen. He would have to make a note of this.

The pikachu made a sound that did not sound friendly. Quickly, Seth realized he had the flashlight glaring into it’s eyes. “Oh! Oh sorry little guy…” Seth turned the light off with an embarrassed laugh. That seemed to please the pikachu, at least a little. It still looked like he was peering down at him however.

“I can’t just leave you under here… hm…” He couldn’t grab the electric mouse. That’s how you get hurt. Especially if the pokemon was trying to snack on live electricity.

Seth’s eyes widened. Grinning, he unscrewed the top of the flashlight and pulled out the batteries and held them out for the pikachu. “Come here little guy…”

The pikachu peered at him for a few moments before nodding. Scooting close to Seth, the pokemon quickly grabbed one of the batteries and smelled it. Seemingly satisfied, it started to nom on it, making a satisfied noise.

“There’s more where that is out here little guy!” Seth said, pushing himself out from under the porch. The pikachu tilted its head, curious. Seth held out the other battery.

The pokemon stared at it, before running out from under the porch and grabbing it as well. It looked up at Seth and seemed to grin at him. It’s ears twitched, before it dropped the batteries and started to make a break for the nearby tall grass.

“Hey wait!”

Behind him, he heard the clank of the maintenance man and his cart. Sighing, Seth jumped back on the porch. Better if he didn’t have to explain this one.


	2. Chapter 2

_There’s only ten students at this school. And that includes me. Most are locals, kids who are excited to start their journey into the pokemon world._

_Each one debating who should be their pokemon partner once they graduate. See, every student gets a pokemon from the Professor himself. It’s an exciting time. And it draws nearer. But I’ve found my thoughts going back to that Pikachu under the porch._

_See the power has gone out a few times more, and I haven’t seen it but I know it has to be that Pikachu chewing on wires. Why it’s chosen here, I don’t know. But I do plan to figure it out. After all, what type of trainer would I be if I couldn’t solve something like this?_

Rumors had already gone through the school about what was causing the power outages. Seth hadn’t said anything, but most of the students were starting to think that an electric type had wandered into the campus and was causing the blackouts. There hadn’t been any official word from the school but Seth had to admit, they were spot on. 

He just hoped to find that Pikachu before any of the teachers did. He had seen it a couple of times since, but he hadn’t gotten any closer than that first time. If he could get it to leave the school alone well…

“Mr. Ilex! As you seem to be dozing off, perhaps you can answer which berry, when held by a pokemon, wakes them from their slumber?” 

Seth’s heart dropped. Not because he didn’t know the answer. But because he was being called out by _the_ Pokemon Professor himself. Professor Oak stood in front of the class, his face stern. A couple of the other students snickered. 

“That would be a Chesto Berry, Professor,” Seth said.

Professor Oak smiled. “Very good! Glad you don’t need one yourself.” The Professor turned his back to the class and began writing on the white board in front of him.

That was when the power went out.

The Professor turned around and shook his head. “Well it looks like whatever little pokemon is causing the outage is back!” Stroking his chin, he grinned. “This could be a good lesson. What pokemon is local to the area and may be causing the power outage?”

Without thinking, Seth’s hand flung up.

“Yes Mr. Ilex?”

“A…” he hesitated. Why was he hesitating? “A Pikachu.”

“Very good! Pikachus are usually found in Viridian Forest, but will sometimes come into cities looking for electricity. While other pokemon can cause outages like this, it would be rare for any other wild electric types to be in Pallet Town, unless they were released near here.”

Seth nodded to himself. The only reason he could answer with such confidence was because he had seen the Pikachu itself, after all. But maybe Professor Oak was right and there were multiple Pikachus out there? He couldn’t catch multiple. He wasn’t sure he could even catch one, with the one Pokeball he had. You had to get the pokemon to accept you and want to be your partner before you could catch it.

The Professor seemed to glean what Seth was thinking. “Now, I don’t want you chasing after any wild pokemon. After all, you aren’t set to graduate just yet. But if you do happen to come across this Pikachu, please let one of my aides know and we will happily take them back to Viridian Forest.”

Class continued, with students asking various questions about electric types and the wild pokemon make up of near Pallet Town, including why the tall grass to the south seemed all fenced off, while the road to Viridian City was open and full of tall grass. 

“You see, Tangela….” The Professor trailed off as more lights in another wing flickered off. “Hm… Well class, it looks as if there may be more than one Pikachu out there after all!” He rubbed the back of his head. “But as it looks like the power isn’t coming back on, I suppose this means class is dismissed! Have a good rest of your day and remember, don’t go chasing after any of the wild pokemon!”

Seth grinned as he touched the batteries in his pants’ pocket. Yeah…. Yeah he wouldn’t do that at all. 

He was the first one out the door and he could hear Professor Oak shake his head. Once outside the classroom, Seth ran back to the broken piece of porch near the dorms. He could hear other classmates following him out of curiosity. That wasn’t part of the plan. Then again, he had made the most noise out of any student. 

He pulled the broken wood away from the porch again and was immediately knocked onto his back. 

“PIKA!” said the figure standing on his chest.

A flashlight shined on the Pikachu. “Hey it got out!” a gruff voice said from underneath the porch. The Pikachu scrambled and hopped off of Seth’s chest and began to run through the growing crowd. Shaking his head, Seth pushed himself to his feet and ran after the Pikachu, shouldering his way through the crowd.

The Pikachu ran back towards another porch but stopped as a battery landed in front of it. “Chu?” he said, cocking his head. The Pikachu looked where the battery came from to see Seth with another battery in his hand. “Pika…?”

“Come on buddy, we just want to help you…” Seth said, getting closer to the ground. He held the battery out. “We just want to get you home.” The Pikachu looked at Seth and the battery for a moment as the crowd began to catch up to the duo. The Pikachu shrunk back from Seth as more people appeared.

“It’s okay! It’s fine….” Seth cooed. He gestured to his classmates to move back. After a moment, the crowd took a step back. Seth kept his palm open, the battery in the center of it. The Pikachu inched forwards before grabbing the battery out of Seth’s hand. Seth grinned. “See? It’s fine. Just want to help…”

Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a Pokeball. “Come on bud…” 

The Pikachu looked at the Pokeball while it had a battery in hand and stopped. Seth’s heart dropped again. The Pikachu looked at the Pokeball and then back at Seth. “Come on bud, I just want to help you get to Viridian Forest.” 

Heavy footsteps came up from behind Seth. Looking behind him, he saw one of the Professor’s aides come towards the group. The aide was muttering to himself, brushing dirt off of his pant legs. Seeing the Pokeball, the aide stopped in his tracks. Grinning, he pointed towards the Pikachu.

Seth looked back towards the Pikachu and saw him leaning forward. Seth touched the Pokeball to the Pikachu’s forehead. The Pikachu vanished in a flash of light and Seth could feel the ball move in his hand. After a couple of shakes, Seth looked down as the Pokeball audibly _clicked_. The top of the ball turned transparent and Seth could see the Pikachu still holding onto the battery. He grinned as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Mr. Ilex,” Professor Oak said. “Please come with me.”


	3. Chapter 3

_Crap._

Seth followed the Professor to his office, while some of the students followed behind. Some of them were snickering about the Johto kid getting in trouble. One or two of the others were more talking about how he actually caught a Pikachu without a pokemon partner. Soon enough, most of the students were shooed away by some of the Professor’s Aides.

When they reached Professor Oak’s office, the Professor sat behind his desk. Seth closed the door behind them.

“Mr. Ilex,” the Professor began. “Why did you go after a wild pokemon after I told your class directly not to?”

Seth looked down at the Pokeball. At Pikachu. The little Pikachu looked up at him an cocked his head. It was true that Seth wanted a Pikachu, but that wasn’t why he caught it. “I wanted to help him,” he said after a moment. 

“What are you going to do with him?” The Professor asked.

Seth didn’t look at the Professor, instead just looking into the ball. “I promised to help him.”

“Hm?”

Looking up at the Professor, Seth placed the Pokeball on the Professor’s desk. “I promised to help him get back to Viridian Forest,” he said. As he let go of the ball, he could feel it get warmer.

The Professor was silent for a moment before nodding. He looked at the Pokeball on his desk and took it into his hands. After a moment, he pressed the button on the front and there was a flash of light. The Pikachu was sitting on the desk. “Is that true Pikachu?”

“Pika!” The Pikachu called out, before chewing on the battery again.

Professor Oak smiled and placed a hand on the Pikachu’s head. After a few moments, the Pikachu nuzzled into his hand. “Did you give him the battery?” Seth nodded. “Good idea. You caught a pokemon without a partner. That takes talent.”

Wait. Was he not going to get in trouble?

“Now, you have a promise to keep and I don’t see why I shouldn’t combine your punishment into it.”

Wait, what?

“Mr. Ilex, you are to take this Pikachu back to its home in Viridian Forest. You will miss the rest of your classes, but still be assigned the homework on the time it takes you to get from here to Viridian City.”

Oh man. There it was. All the work, none of the lessons. 

The Pikachu looked up at the Professor, then at Seth. 

“However, you will be without a pokemon partner on your way back. So with that in mind…” The Professor stood up and walked over to another table. Seth walked close behind, while the Pikachu jumped off the table to follow Seth. The Professor pressed a button on the table and three Pokeballs rose from somewhere within.

“So! Seth! Who would you choose as your pokemon partner? Would it be the grass type Bulbasaur? The fire type Charmander? Or the water type Squirtle?” Professor Oak asked, spreading his arms out from behind the table.

Seth couldn’t help but grin. This wasn't what he was expecting. This wasn’t anything close to it!

Walking over to the table, Seth looked down into each Pokeball to see the three partners. Before he could lean in, he felt a weight on his leg. Then on his hip. Looking down, he saw the Pikachu had abandoned his battery and was not climbing up his clothes to reach his shoulder to get a better look. Grinning, Seth leaned in to look at the new pokemon.

“So what do you think Pikachu?”

"Pika!"


	4. Chapter 4

_It didn’t take me long to pack up. I had my bag, some extra pokeballs from Professor Oak’s aides, and a pokedex from Professor Oak himself. If he was going on an errand, he might as well record some Pokemon while he was out._

_“After all, we want you to learn all you can!” The Professor said._

_So armed with my Pokedex, I headed out to take Pikachu back home._

“Bulbasaur! Go!”

There was a burst of light as the pokeball hit the ground. “Saur!” he cried as his feet touched the ground. Almost immediately, a wild Rattata slammed into the little bulbed pokemon. Seth winced as his partner was hit. Bulbasaur skidded backwards, dust kicking into the air as the wild Rattata glared at both trainer and pokemon.

“Bulbasaur! Hit him with a tackle!” Seth called out. Bulbasaur ran at the Rattata and slammed into it sideways. It was the Rattata’s turn to slide backwards.

The Rattata launched itself forward, its fangs bared. Bulbasaur dodged to the side, the Rattata barely missing. A vine whipped out and smacked the Rattata on the back. Crying out, the Rattata ran back into the tall grass.

Running forward, Seth pulled out a pokebean and offered it to Bulbasaur. The Bulbasaur turned and seemed to smile up at Seth before leaning forward to eat the bean. “Good job Bulba!” Seth said, petting his pokemon on the head. “You did great!” He continued to pet Bulbasaur until he was finished with his pokebean. Once he did, he held out the pokeball. “Time to go back in bud!” He tapped the ball to Bulbasaur’s head and called him back.

It was a long walk between Pallet Town and Viridian City. It would take him the entire day to get there. Which wasn’t bad, it gave him and Bulbasaur time to stretch their legs! The only problem was whenever Bulbasaur was out, wild pokemon seemed more aggressive. After constant fights, Seth had taken to putting the little bulb away after each fight. Now at least there seemed to be less encounters.

It was rather nice outside. The sun was shining and it was rather warm out. Seth unbuttoned his black jackets and put is hands behind his head. There was a path without any tall grass up ahead. He could let Bulbasaur stretch his legs a bit, but he was just out.

“What about you Pikachu? How are you doing?” He hadn’t used the Pikachu at all since he left Pallet Town. After all, it wasn’t his pokemon. He pulled out Pikachu’s ball and looked inside. The Pikachu was looking back at him. “Would you want to stretch your legs a bit?”

The Pikachu nodded. Seth pressed the button on the pokeball and another burst of light, Pikachu was on his shoulder. Seth wasn’t expecting that but hey. They walked the path without much happening. Pikachu moved from one shoulder to the other, taking in the sights of the new area.

“Yeah, you didn’t really see the area this way did you?” Seth asked. The Pikachu shook his head. “Not sure how you got to the Professor’s but don’t worry, we’ll get you back home soon enough.

Suddenly there was a loud cry from the tall grass and a burst of wind slammed into the duo. Seth barely got his hand up in time to catch his hat from being blown off his head. Looking forward, he swallowed. “What was that?”

He was soon answered by another cry. Two Pidgeys burst out from the tall grass, flying at Seth. Seth grabbed the Pikachu, cradled it, and dove to the ground. The Pidgeys barely flew over them. Seth pushed himself to his feet as he heard them caw out again.

Seth’s thoughts raced. Bulbasaur would be a bad idea, especially against two very angry birds. But it was his only pokemon. Unless… “Pikachu,” he said, “think you can help me out here?”

Pikachu nodded before jumping off of his shoulder, right at the Pidgeys. “Pikachu, hit him with a thundershock!” 

“Pika pi!” he yelled, his cheeks glowing. As he hit the ground, a bolt of electricity raced forward at one of the Pidgeys. It tried to dodge, but was already in the middle of turning. The thundershock slammed into the beak. The Pidgey hit the ground, sliding towards the duo, fainted.

The second Pidgey was not happy. It threw its head back and cawed, before rearing its entire body back and sending a whirlwind out at Pikachu. Pikachu tried to hold onto the ground but was pushed into the air, back towards Seth.

Seth ran forward and grabbed the now flying Pikachu. He felt the pokemon slam into his chest and Seth coughed. Pikachu seemed to thank Seth “Piiiii,” and then kicked off of Seth’s chest. Again he coughed as he got hit. 

Pikachu gathered more electricity, it’s cheeks glowing once again. Electricity flew from his cheeks, barely missing the Pidgey as it twisted into a corkscrew and slammed into Pikachu before it could land. 

Sliding along the dusty path, Pikachu sent out thundershock after thundershock, each one landing right behind the Pidgey. Finally one of them hit, sending the Pidgey sprawling to the ground. Both Pidgeys flew off, but not before sending the duo a glare and cawing. 

Sighing, Seth slid to the ground against one of the fences lining the roads, gently massaging where he got hit catching Pikachu. Pikachu came over, cocking its head questioningly. Seth reached into his pocket and pulled out a pokebean and offered it to the Pikachu. He grabbed it and begun to nibble on it.

Reaching out, Seth began scratching the Pikachu between the ears. He could see a few cuts and scrapes on him. Between Pikachu and Bulbasaur, Seth would have to get them to a Pokemon Center soon. Sighing, he waited until Pikachu was done with his pokebean before he summoned him back into the pokeball.

“Sorry buddy, but you and Bulba need a rest,” he said quietly.

Man the wild pokemon were aggressive today.


	5. Chapter 5

_At least the rest of the way to Viridian CIty was relatively quiet. After those two angry Pidgeys, most of the wild pokemon on the road seemed to avoid my pokemon and I. Which was good because Bulba and Pikachu looked exhausted._

_I ran most of the way to Viridian City after that and found my way into the Pokemon Center._

The Pokemon Center was a large building near the entrance of Viridian City. There was a long counter in the back of the room with a nurse and a Chansey behind it. Multiple machines were then behind them. Walking up to the counter, Seth pulled out his two pokeballs.

“Hello! Welcome to the Viridian City Pokemon Center!” The nurse said in a pleasant, high pitched voice. She eyed the two pokeballs in Seth’s hands. “Would you like to rest you pokemon?”

Seth nodded.

“Allow me to take your pokemon for a few moments!” the nurse said and gently took the pokeballs out of Seth’s hands and placed them on the machine behind her. She turned and smiled at Seth as the images of his pokemon appeared on a large screen behind her. The Chansey took the two pokeballs off of the machine and placed them on the counter. “Your pokemon are fighting fit! We hope to see you again!”

Seth thanked the nurse and walked over to the couch the Pokemon Center provided and flopped down with a sigh. It had taken him almost the entire day to hike to Viridian City and he was tired. Looking at the two pokeballs, he placed them back on his belt. Tapping his chin, Seth shrugged and pulled out his pokedex. He looked up the entries on Rattata and Pidgey that he gained from running in on them. He made a note that some of the Pidgeys seemed to be very territorial and sent it off to the Professor. 

Once he was done, Seth stood up again and walked outside. He could see fireflies coming out, lighting up the dusky sky. It was getting late and he didn’t want to get to Viridian Forest at midnight. Pulling out one of the pokeballs, Seth pushed the button and let Pikachu onto his shoulder. “Are you okay hanging out with me for another night?” 

Pikachu looked up at him and smiled. “Chu!”

Seth grinned in return. “I’ll take that as a yes!” Seth then brought out Bulbasaur’s pokeball and summoned him as well. “And what about you bud? How are you feeling now?”

Two vines came out of the bulb on his back and waved at Seth. Seth couldn’t help but laugh. Dropping to his knees, he patted Bulba on the head. “Glad you’re feeling well too!” Bulbasaur seemed to love it, leaning into the pets. 

Standing back up, Seth put his hands behind his head and started to walk through Viridian City. He might as well take in the sights before he found a place to sleep for the night. There should be an inn or the like close to the Pokemon Center but he didn’t need to find it yet. 

Wandering through the City, he grinned at the people out and about with their own pokemon. He hadn’t seen this many people out with their pokemon since he had left Goldenrod City. It wasn’t nearly as many of course, but it made him smile all the same. He even saw someone with a Hypno! Which kind of creeped him out still.

Walking through the City, he eventually found himself in front of the Viridian CIty Pokemon Gym. It had come far from the old, closed building he had heard of back in Red’s day. Back then it had been under the control of the leader of Team Rocket and was away from the Gym for months at a time before using it for his final stand. Now it was a respectable Gym again, under its leader, Blue.

Seth felt himself getting excited just looking at the building. This was where _the_ Blue was now. One of the former Pokemon League Champions and now one of the premier Kanto Gym leaders, Seth wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask for a battle or an autograph or both. He wanted to challenge the gym. See how far he could get and see just how well he could do. 

But he only really had one Pokemon to his name. Pikachu wasn’t his. He couldn’t clear the Gym with one pokemon. But maybe he could still meet Blue…

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing out here?” 

Seth jumped, not expecting someone to yell at him. He turned, both Bulbasaur and Pikachu looking at the two men leering at him. Seth tried to smile but something about these two were making him nervous. 

“I was just looking at the Gym,” Seth said defensively. Both men were in black shirts and jeans. The one talking had his hands in his pockets and was leaning towards Seth. The other was tossing a pokeball up and down.

“You know there’s a toll for going to this Gym,” the other man said. 

Seth frowned. “No there isn’t.”

The man with his hands in his pockets laughed. “Yeah there is! Old tradition in Viridian City.” He pointed at Bulba. “You gotta give us one of your pokemon before you can even think of challenging this Gym.”

Seth took a step forward, pushing Bulbasaur behind him. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

There was a burst of light and Seth coughed as he felt something slam into his chest. Seth stumbled backwards, tripping over Bulbasaur and landing on the ground hard. 

“TA-TA-TA!” the trainer’s Ratatta cried out as Pikachu leapt off of Seth’s shoulder and slammed into the rat. 

“Hey what do you think you’re doing?!” The man who had been tossing his pokeball called out. 

Seth hastily pushed himself up and yelled, “Pikachu! Thundershock!” 

“Pika-CHUUU!” Pikachu yelled, jumping into the air, his cheeks glowing bright. As a lightning bolt arced its way toward the Rattata, Seth made sure Bulbasaur was okay. As he did, he another burst of light occured and Seth was hit with a loud sound. Grabbing his ears, he turned to look at the men and the Zubat that was now flying overhead.

A vine whipped forward and smacked into the flying Zubat, knocking it back towards the men. Grabbing his pokeballs, Seth called Pikachu and Bulbasaur back. Without pause, Seth ran into the Gym.

One of the two men hesitated. “You know he’s never around. Just like our old boss! Come on!” the other called out. Nudging him forward, the two followed Seth into the Gym. 

The inside of the Gym was dark. Was no one there? Had Seth made a mistake? Seth swallowed as he ran through the building, looking for someone. Anyone. 

The gym was completely black.

Seth had made a mistake.


	6. Chapter 6

Seth turned around and summoned both Pikachu and Bulbasaur. “Okay guys,” he whispered to them, “it looks like we’re going to have to stand and fight. Are you ready for this?” Both of the pokemon nodded. He patted them on their heads.

The trio stood near the back of the Gym, waiting for the thugs to follow. It was hard to see in the dark Gym, but Seth could hear the thud of their footsteps getting closer. Seth balled his hands into fists. He could hear his heart beat in his ears. He had dreamed of taking down Team Rocket thugs like his idols.

He hadn’t expected to be faced with pokemon thieves the second he left Pallet Town.

He also didn’t expect the one safe haven in town to not be safe.

Seth could feel the sweat dripping down his brow as the footsteps got closer. The footsteps were barely louder than his heartbeat. Swallowing, he whispered to his pokemon. “The second you see them, I want you to Vine Whip the Rattata. Pikachu, hit that Zubat with a thundershock.” Play to type advantage. Hit them fast and hit them hard. They only had two pokemon as well. He could do this. He just had to plan ahead and make sure.

The second the thugs came into view, the room lit up as lightning danced from Pikachu’s cheeks and hit the Zubat. Vines danced through the air and slapped the Rattata, sending it flying back at its trainer.

The thugs narrowed their eyes. “Kid, you’re not just going to lose one pokemon now!” one of them yelled. The Zubat raced forward, flying towards Bulba. Pikachu continued to shoot lighting at it but the Zubat was evading now. The only real light was from Pikachu’s electricity. The Zubat had the advantage.

It bit into the bulb of Bulbasaur, causing Bulba to cry out in pain. Some of the electricity burns on the Zubat looked to heal as it leeched some of the life out of the plant pokemon. 

The Rattata also wasn’t taking this sitting down. It picked itself up and ran at Pikachu, its fangs bared. Pikachu stopped trying to hit the Zubat and instead dodged at the last second, the Rattata’s fangs barely missing his tail.

Meanwhile the trainers were glaring at each other as they barked out orders. 

Vines whipped out, trying to hit either Zubat or Rattata. One or two would hit, and then the Rattata would bite the vines, causing Bulbasaur to cry out. Light from the electricity flashed through the gym, causing everything to look as though it was lit up by a strobe light. The Bulbasaur slammed its vines onto the ground, causing the still latched on Rattata getting flattened on the ground as well.

Bulbasaur grabbed onto the Zubat with its vines. “Bulba!” it cried out. Pikachu turned, skidding across the Gym floor and looked at his partner. Tail raising, electricity sparked on his cheeks and arched towards the now immobile Zubat. Lightning slammed into it, some of it arching down the vines to hit Bulbasaur, but even so the little bulb pokemon did not let go. Not until the Zubat fainted.

Bulbasaur let go with an audible sigh, his vines much slower now. One of the thugs swore, recalling the bat. He nudged his partner. “This isn’t worth it,” he muttered. The other thug swore, recalling his own Rattata before turning to run towards the exit.

As the thugs fled the Gym lights turned on. All three trainers threw their hands up to shield their eyes. As their eyes adjusted to the light, they saw a man in a grey coat and orange hair standing with his arms crossed.

“You know, I leave the Gym for two days to track down rumors of Pokemon thieves and what do you know? You guys come to me!” the man said. “What luck!” 

The two thugs swore again. “I thought you said the leader wasn’t here!”

“He wasn’t!”

“You’re right, I wasn’t! But one of you idiots set off the alarm so… here I am!” Blue Oak said, a grin growing on his face. There was a burst of light as a Machamp was summoned beside him. “Hope you said your prayers today!”

Seth couldn’t help but grin. Here was one of his idols in action! Blue Oak himself! But he didn’t have time to fanboy. Rushing to his Bulbasaur he checked on his status. Bulba was weak from the battle and the team hit. He didn’t have any potions so he would have to rush his partner back to the Pokemon Center.

Pikachu was panting, his exhaustion evident. Seth recalled Bulbasaur to the safety of his own pokeball and checked on Pikachu. Pikachu looked up at the trainer, a gleam in his eyes and hopped on his shoulder. “Pika!” he said. Pikachu seemed to not want to go back into the pokeball. Seth was okay with that. 

Turning around he saw both thugs held by the Machamp. Blue looked at them and nodded. “Machamp, take them to the officers outside please?” The Machamp nodded and opened the door with its free hands.

Blue slowly walked over to Seth and smiled. “Those two were running from you when I came in weren’t they?” He asked Seth.

Seth could only nod.

Blue’s smile widened. “Good job kid! You scared them but good. And you held your own!” Blue held out his hand. “I’m the Gym leader here. The name is Blue. Sorry it took me so long to get here.”

Seth was finding it hard to form words. Here was one of his heroes, standing in front of him, congratulating him? Hastily, he shook Blue’s hand.

Blue laughed. “Man of few words huh? Well don’t worry, I’ve got experience with those.” He paused for a moment, looking the teen up and down. “Wait, you wouldn’t happen to be Seth, would you?” Seth nodded. “Gramps told me you were coming.”

Blue ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “So you’re the kid who’s taking a Pikachu back to Viridian Forest. I was supposed to meet you here but I was running late. Sorry about that.” Blue looked back towards the door. His Machamp walked back through the door. “Come on kid, let’s get you something to eat and you can tell me all about your adventure up here.”

Seth’s stomach growled. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until Blue mentioned it. But first… “Can we go to a Pokemon Center first?”

Blue laughed. “Of course! Let’s get your partners healed up and then get you some food.”


	7. Chapter 7

_I can’t believe it. I’m sitting next to Blue._ The _Blue. The guy who helped take down Team Rocket! Who became Pokemon League Champion!_

_And he’s complimenting me!_

Seth could barely contain his excitement. He knew it had to be written all over his face. This was one of his idols just across the booth from him. 

Everything from the Gym to the ramen shop had been a blur. Seth was too elated. He had beaten what Blue said were two remnants of Team Rocket by himself! He had scared them away! And now he was with one of his idols! He couldn’t stress that enough. This was the second happiest day of his life, aside from catching Pikachu and getting Bulba.

Blue had asked him a bit of what had happened and Seth found himself explaining how he had been exploring the City and, a bit bashfully, how he had come to find himself staring at the Gym for too long. That must have been when the thugs decided to make him their mark. He explained how he didn’t want to fight them, how he had ran into the Gym to hopefully see Blue and have him help. When he realized he had cornered himself, how he stood and fought.

Slurping his noodles, Blue listened carefully, not asking too many questions, instead letting the teen talk. He made a few notes in his own, what looked like anyways, Pokedex. Once Seth finished, Blue nodded.

“It takes a lot to stand up to thieves. Especially when you just got your pokemon, what yesterday?” Seth nodded and Blue smiled. “You did good kid.”

With that, Seth’s stomach rumbled again. Blue gestured to the bowl of noodles in front of him. “You know, it should be cool enough now.” Bashfully, Seth grabbed the bowl and began to eat.

“So Seth, what do you plan to do after you return that Pikachu to Viridian Forest? You have a pokedex now. And a partner from Gramps. You’ve graduated! The whole world is your cloyster.” Blue grinned. “You came to the Gym. Is that something that interests you?”

Seth nodded enthusiastically. “You and Red…” he started and swallowed. “I heard the stories about you since I was little. It’s the entire reason I came to Kanto. I want to be a Pokemon Master like you two!”

With that, Blue threw his head back and laughed. He grinned at Seth and reached over to ruffle his hair. “I like you kid!” he said simply. “You’ve got a goal and the guts to get it done. After what you and Gramps told me? I’ve got no doubt you can do it. It won’t be easy, but nothing worth it ever is.”

Seth could feel his eyes grow wide. Blue thought he could do it? 

“Would you want to start your journey with my Gym?”

Seth almost nodded. Almost. But… did he want to fight Blue at his weakest?

Seth shook his head. “No?” Blue asked, a bit of hurt slipping into his voice.

“I… I want to fight you at your strongest!” Seth said. “I want you to be the final challenge before I go face the Pokemon League!”

Blue laughed again. “Like I said kid, you’ve got guts. I like that. I’ll let you crash at my place tonight and then tomorrow, I’ll walk you to the forest. I can get you started and finished on your Gym challenge. How’s that sound?”

Seth couldn’t help but nod enthusiastically.


	8. Chapter 8

Seth assumed he had woken up before Blue. The house was quiet. He sat up on the couch and ran a hand through his messy hair. He attempted to smooth it before shrugging and giving up on taming it. 

He sat back down on the couch and looked at his belt with his two pokeballs on it. Bulbasaur was still asleep in his pokeball, recovering from the big day before. Pikachu however, was awake.

Today he would return Pikachu back to Viridian Forest. He found himself staring at Pikachu’s pokeball. Sure he only had been partnered with him for a couple of days, but Seth found himself not wanting to go to Viridian Forest just yet. “Today’s the day, eh bud?” he said softly to the pokeball. He looked inside and saw the Pikachu look back up at him. The Pikachu cocked his head. Seth smiled softly. He stood up and attached the pokeball to his belt.

Looking up, he saw Blue watching him from the doorway. “Morning,” Blue said, sipping from a mug. “How did you sleep?”

How long had he been there? Seth blushed, thinking Blue had seen him talk to his pokemon. There was no reason to be embarrassed, but he still felt the warmth flush his cheeks. 

“Alright. Thanks for lending me your couch,” Seth said after a bit, messing with the hem of his shirt.

Blue smiled. “No problem. I made breakfast before we head out.”

Seth thanked him and followed him to the kitchen. He ate in silence mostly, picking at the eggs and toast, his mind more towards the task he had this afternoon. Releasing Pikachu. He shook his head and tried to focus on eating. He knew if he didn’t he wouldn’t want to release him. Pikachu had saved him twice now, and Seth was starting to like the little guy. “But a promise is a promise…” he muttered under his breath before taking another bite of eggs.

Blue said nothing, instead, from what Seth could tell, focusing on his own meal.

Once they were done with breakfast, Seth grabbed his bag and pulled it onto his shoulders. He looked at Blue and nodded.

Blue tapped his chin. “Actually, do you think we could go to Viridian Forest a bit later today? I got a call from the League and I need head over. It won’t take long”

Seth found himself agreeing far too quickly.

“You’ve never seen the League, have you?” Blue grinned. “You’re welcome to come. At least to the entrance. You can’t go in without all the Kanto Gym Badges, but you can at least hang out by the entrance.”

Seth perked up at that. Go to the League? Sure it was just the gate but even that. “Definitely!”

Blue’s grinned widen. “Alright, let’s go!”

It didn’t take them long to reach Route 22 from Blue’s house. It was just east of Viridian City after all. Another reason Seth wanted to save Blue for his final challenge before facing the League. It was right there.

Blue stopped him at the entrance to the League. “Behind here is Victory Road. Those trainers that completed their Gym Challenge are training back through here. It’s a dangerous route. It’s why we don’t let you in unless you have also completed the Gym Challenge.”

Seth nodded. It made sense. The League in Johto was the same way. Well, of course it was. They shared the same League after all. 

“However, there are some wild pokemon near here that you can’t find anywhere else.” That caught Seth’s attention. Rare pokemon? “I even heard that a Ponyta was seen out here.” With that, Blue handed Seth five pokeballs and grinned. “Good luck.”

Blue waved as he turned away from Seth and was greeted by the League guard. They talked for a moment before Blue summoned an Alakazam and teleported away.

Seth looked up at the tall gate and grinned. This is where his journey started and would end huh? That was fine with him. Still grinning, the teen walked away from the gate and back towards the tall grass off the route. He sneaked through the tall grass, seeing a few Ratatta near the edges. Some of them looked at him but didn’t approach. Seth wasn’t sure if it was the effects of the Repel that Blue used still or what. But he was glad the family of Ratattas left him well enough alone.

There was a few skirmishes with a Spearow, but it was nothing like the Pidgeys yesterday. Seth though that was odd and he would need to write the Professor about it. Spearows were typically much more aggressive and territorial but even then, one hit from Pikachu sent it flying away each time it or another Spearow appeared. Maybe Seth and Pikachu were just stronger. He wasn’t sure. But it was definitely something to make a note of.

While he pulled out his Pokedex to make a note for the Professor, he heard a cry he hadn’t heard before. Looking up, he crawled through the grass towards the sound. There was another cry and Seth made sure his Pokedex was listening for it this time. “A male Nidoran?” Seth said. He hadn’t seen one of those before. Sure it wasn’t the Ponyta but it was still something.

Poison type. That meant Bulbasaur wasn’t a good fit again. He looked to Pikachu. “You ready?” Pikachu seemed to grin and nod. “Okay. Hit him quick. We don’t need this one running. We want to add this to our team.”

The duo burst into the next patch of tall grass and the small poison point pokemon crying out. It was balled up and crying. Pikachu looked at Seth and Seth shook his head. This wasn’t a normal encounter. This wasn’t a wild pokemon who a trainer needed to prove themselves to. This was a hurt pokemon. Seth dug into his bag for a potion and approached the Nidoran male slowly. It stopped crying and looked up at him, some of the poison points flaring up.

Seth held up his hands, showing off the potion. “It’s alright. I’m not here to hurt you.” Seth cooed. “I just want to help. What’s wrong?” 

The Nidoran sniffed, still staring at Seth. Seth stood his ground and kept talking gently towards the poison pokemon. Slowly the pokemon unfurled. There was a large gash in its leg. Seth slowly leaned closer and noticed Pidgey feathers. Frowning, Seth slowly held out the hand with the potion in it and sprayed it on the gash. He watched the gash slowly knit itself together.

The Nidoran sniffed the wound and looked at Seth, its head cocked. Seth smiled softly and stood up. “There you go buddy,” he said softly. “You okay now?” The Nidoran slowly tried to put weight on the leg. It wobbled a bit before seemingly nodding. 

Seth could probably do better by taking the pokemon to the Center, but he wasn’t sure if he would want to go. Kneeling, he dug into his bag and pulled out a pokebean and offered it to the poison pokemon. Hesitantly, he leaned forward and took a bite of the bean. Perking up, it took the entire bean into its mouth and swallowed. Seth laughed, grinning at the pokemon.

Seth stood up and nodded to Pikachu. The mouse pokemon climbed up his pant leg and hopped onto his shoulder. “Are you okay now?” The Nidoran nodded. Seth smiled again and started to leave but stopped when he heard grass crunching behind him. He turned to look at the Nidoran following him. Seth kept walking and the Nidoran kept following him. After a few minutes of this, Seth pulled out a pokeball and turned to look at the Nidoran. 

“Do you want to come with me?” he asked. The Nidoran paused before nodding. Seth held out the pokeball and the Nidoran pushed his nose against the button. Seth felt the ball grow warm and shake a few times before it clicked shut. Seth grinned at Pikachu and put the ball on his belt. He left the route to go back to the Pokemon Center to make sure the Nidoran was completely okay.

Sure it wasn’t the Ponyta, but he had made a new friend.


	9. Chapter 9

Seth thought he was becoming a regular at this Pokemon Center. This was his third time in in less than twelve hours. Indeed, the nurse recognized him as he walked through the door and smiled, he lips a bit tight.

Seth supposed there wasn’t a way for her to find out if he was caring or abusive towards his pokemon. And he knew it would get a bit more confusing this time. Indeed, the nurse looked at Seth, worry evident in her eyes as he explained that this time he needed more attention given to the Nidoran. He explained how he had found the Nidoran hurt and did the best he could, but he knew it probably needed proper medical attention with how bad that gash had looked.

The nurse nodded, some of the worry melting away from her eyes. “I’ll take your pokemon now. It will be a few minutes but we should be able to completely heal your Nidoran.”

Seth smiled at the nurse and handed over the pokeball for Nidoran, Pikachu still on his shoulder. They moved to the couch and waited. While they did so, Seth pulled out his Pokedex and started making notes about his encounter with Nidoran, explaining how he had approached it and healed it. He sent the update to Professor Oak.

When he was done, he heard the nurse calling for him. He moved to the counter as quick as was polite. She smiled and handed over the pokeball with Nidoran in it. “His leg should be fine. You did well to potion it up when you did and bring him to us,” She said. “I haven’t seen a cut that deep on a wild pokemon in a long time.”

Nodding, Seth crouched down and summoned the Nidoran. He checked the leg and began to, carefully, pet the poison pokemon. The Nidoran leaned into the pets, cooing a bit. Seth looked back up at the nurse and thanked her again.

“You’re very welcome!” She said brightly. She straightened up as another man entered the Pokemon Center.

Looking at the door, Seth grinned as Blue walked in. “Sorry I left!” he called out, waving. He gestured to the Nidoran he was still petting. “I found this little guy out there hurt, so I wanted to get him to a Center as soon as I could.”

Blue walked over and took his sunglasses off his face. “You had me a bit worried!” he laughed. “I thought the Ponyta ran you over.” He walked over to the Nidoran and slowly kneeled down next to it. He held out his hand, letting the pokemon sniff it a bit. It looked at Seth, who nodded. Slowly, the Nidoran leaned in for pets from the Gym Leader. “Good job on finding him. Especially if he was hurt. What is this, the second pokemon you caught without a fight? I think I might start calling you a pokemon whisperer.”

Seth beamed at that. After they both gave the Nidoran lots of love, Seth recalled him to his pokeball. The pair stood up, Seth giving Pikachu a pat on the belly as they did so. Blue watched him for a moment before gesturing to the door. “Are you ready to go to Viridian Forest?”

If Seth was being honest, no he wasn’t. He knew he had only had Pikachu for a few days, but they had gone through a lot in those days. He wanted to say they were partners. But a promise was a promise. And this was the entire reason he had left the Professor a week early. So, after a few moments of silence, he nodded. 

Blue patted the teen on the back. “I’ll walk you out there. See you off to Pewter City and for your journey to really begin.”

As the trio left the Pokemon Center, the nurse said, “Good luck on your Gym Challenge! We hope to see you again!” Seth turned and smiled, a bit sadly, as the nurse and waved. Blue just held up a hand in farewell. 

The two walked in silence as they exited the Center, Seth’s mind racing. He hadn’t expected to come to see Pikachu as his own pokemon, much less a partner. He had been specifically trying to avoid that in the beginning. But the angry Pidgeys and the pokemon thieves had changed that perspective quickly enough. Now he wasn’t so sure he wanted to keep his word.

Pikachu must have felt the mood as they walked as every now and then the mouse pokemon would seemingly pet Seth’s face. Despite his mood, that still made him smile. After a bit, Seth grabbed Pikachu off his shoulder and held him cradled against his chest. Pikachu didn’t seem to mind all that much, nuzzling into his chest as he did.

Before Seth knew it, they were standing outside Viridian Forest. The massive trees sprawled towards the sky as if attempting to reach out and grab the high noon sun. He could see Metapods and Kakuna handing from those high branches if he squinted hard enough. He knew the giant forest was home to many insects, both pokemon and not alike. Pulling a can out of his bag, he sprayed himself with bug spray. The last thing he needed was to be eaten alive.

Plus, it added a few moments before he had to enter the forest and say goodbye.

Blue watched him in silence before moving on to the building that guarded the entrance to the forest. Seth followed slowly behind him. Inside was dark, the massive trees seemingly blotting out the sun. You could feel the pulse of insects in the air. Seth stared in wonder at the massive forest. They had nothing like this in Johto. After a few moments of staring, Blue looked at Seth expectantly. Biting his bottom lip, Seth put Pikachu on the grassy forest floor.

Seth could feel his eyes water as he pet the top of Pikachu’s head. “Hey there buddy. Delivered to Viridian Forest, just as promised.” Pikachu cocked his head, seemingly confused. “I know it’s only been a few days together, but they’ve been a blast haven’t they?”

“Pi-ka!” 

Seth grinned. “You’ve been a great partner but now it’s time for you to go back to your family. You were lost down there in Pallet Town, but now you’re back home!” 

“Chu?”

Seth wiped away a tear with the sleeve of his jacket. “Come on buddy, don’t make this harder. Here.” He reached inside his bag and brought out another battery and offered it to Pikachu. The little mouse smiled and took it in both hands before nibbling on it. The smell of ozone slowly started to leak out of the battery as Pikachu converted it to his own form of electrical energy.

Pulling out his Pokedex, Seth pulled up Pikachu’s pokeball entry. He tapped around a bit until he found the occupational status. There, he saw the option to release a pokemon from its pokeball for good. He reached out and pet the pokemon again, this time reaching under his chin, Pikachu’s favorite place to be scratched. 

“I’m going to have to go now okay?”

“Chu?”

“Yeah, you’re home now. You can do whatever you want! No big bad men to chase you off for chewing on wires.” No thieves threatening to hurt you. No crazed Pidgeys trying to cut you up. “Just you and your family. You’re free to do whatever you want!”

Pikachu tilted his head and took a step closer to Seth. Seth shuffled backwards, still squatting to be closer to the mouse. “No buddy, you don’t have to come with me. You can do whatever you want!” He felt the tears on his face again as he looked back down at his Pokedex. At the big **RELEASE** button.

Putting the pokeball down between them, Seth pet Pikachu one last time. “I guess this is goodbye buddy.” He closed his eyes.

And he slammed down on the button.

“Pikachu?”

He was expecting something grand. The pokeball to explode. Or change. Or… something. But nothing happened. He looked down at the release button again. Did he miss it?

He pressed it again.

And again nothing happened.

Frowning, he pressed it again.

Pikachu picked up the pokeball and looked at it. After a moment, he offered it to Seth. Seth was confused. Was his Pokedex shorting out? Why wasn’t it working?

Blue laughed from behind. “Hey, I don’t think he wants to leave.”

Seth turned around and looked at Blue. Was that possible? He looked back at Pikachu. “Is that true?”

“Pika!” Pikachu yelled, jumping back onto Seth’s shoulder.

Seth’s face broke into the biggest smile he had in a while. He gladly took the pokeball and put it back on his belt. Closing his Pokedex, he looked at Blue, the smile still plastered on his face.


	10. Chapter 10

_Blue congratulated Pikachu and I for our new partnership. I was still grinning, I couldn’t help it! I could feel Pikachu’s happiness as well. At least, I thought I did._

_Blue couldn’t stick around however. He had Gym business to attend to. He did however give me a map and wished me luck. “Next time I see you, you better be ready to face me!” He said as he left, a hand above his head in farewell as he walked away. With that, my team and I were left alone in the giant woods that was Viridian Forest…_

Seth let his pokemon out of their pokeballs. It was going to be a long walk from here to Pewter City and he didn’t want to leave them cooped up all day. People called Viridian Forest a natural maze, but at least he had a map. 

The grass was high here. He could barely see Rex’s, the Nidoran, head over it. The trees wide canopy blotted out the sun in most places, only select rays of sunlight able to shine through. Bug types and other wild pokemon could be hiding anywhere in this tall grass. They walked slowly through the forest, Seth keeping an eye on his pokemon. He wanted them out and able to stretch their legs, but not in trouble.

Most of the pokemon he ran into were Caterpies and Weedles. None of the bug types were really interested in him, most of them either fleeing from his team or simply minding their own business, eating plants. 

One Caterpie did get attracted to the bulb on the back of Bulbasaur. Seth watched with interest as it crawled toward Bulbasaur. At first he thought maybe they would make a new friend. And then the Caterpie tried to take a bite out of the bulb. Bulbasaur flicked the bug pokemon away with a vine. Seth couldn’t help but chuckle.

It was fascinating to see so many pokemon in their natural habitat, living together and not fighting. Well, mostly. Every now and then Seth could hear the flap of a flying type’s wings and then the cry of a bug type. Or sometimes the cry of the flying type in frustration as whatever it was stalking must have escaped its grasp. 

On many of the trees, Kakuna and Metapods hung from the trees in silent observation of the forest. Seth saw that not many flying types messed with them. He figured it was due to their incredibly hard shells protecting the evolving insides. One or two did have scratched on the outside of their shells, but to Seth at least, it looked as if most birds knew to leave them well enough alone. 

Plus, every now and then Seth could hear the faint buzz of a Beedrill near the trees. And he didn’t know anyone who wanted to make one of those angry.

Pulling out his Pokedex, Seth started to record some of his observations. Sure a lot of it was already documented but Seth wanted his own notes as well. You never know when you would find something conflicting.

When he was done recording his notes, Seth tucked the Pokedex away in his jacket pocket. He looked at the map and nodded to himself. He was about three-fourths of the way through the forest without incident. 

Well, until he noticed his Bulbasaur was nowhere to be seen.

Frowning, he looked at Pikachu, who shrugged. Moving to a large indent of grass, Seth found Rex and asked, “You didn’t happen to see where Bulba ran off to, did you?” Rex nodded and started to run deeper into the forest. 

As they walked through the forest, Seth began hearing strange noises. Noises that weren’t native to the forest. He picked up his pace to a light jog.

Up ahead, he saw Bulbasaur in a clearing. Grinning, he started to run towards him but stopped when he saw a vine whip out from the bulb and smash into something. The something flew back through the air and hit the ground near Seth’s feet. Bending down, he saw a broken pokeball.

“Will you be a good pokemon and just get caught?!” Seth heard someone yell. Scanning the area, he saw another teen in a white shirt and shorts getting frustrated. Reaching into his own bag, the teen pulled out another pokeball and aimed it at the Bulbasaur. He threw it again.

Seth ran in front of Bulba and caught the pokeball.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the teen yelled. “I saw that pokemon first!”

Seth reached to his belt and recalled Bulbasaur. “I don’t think you did,” he said simply.

The teen’s eyes went wide at that. Pushing through the tall grass, the teen walked up to Seth and started to apologize. “Oh my god I’m so sorry,” he said. “I didn’t know it wasn’t wild!” His eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to him. “Why did you have him out of his pokeball? Why was he so far away from you?”

Seth rolled his eyes and tossed the kid the pokeball he didn’t waste. “I didn’t want them cooped up all day,” he said simply, recalling Rex as well. Best not to let the kid get any ideas. 

“But you’re not supposed to just let them wander! This never would have happened!” The teen said.

Seth sighed. “Look, no harm no foul.”

The teen kicked a patch of grass. “I didn’t mean to almost steal...” He said weakly.

Seth shook his head. “You wouldn’t have been able to. Once they’re registered to a pokeball, you can’t catch someone else’s pokemon with any type of pokeball. You’d have to take the one he’s registered off of me to steal him at that point.”

The teen nodded, looking at the ground. “Of course,” he said sheepishly. “Still, sorry about that.”

“Like I said, no harm. Right Bulba?” The Bulbasaur looked angry inside the pokeball, but nodded in affirmation. 

“Why did you think there was a wild Bulbasaur even out here?” Seth asked.

The teen looked back up from the ground. “There were rumors that a wild herd was out here. I thought one had wandered away and I wanted to try and catch one.” He grinned at Seth. “They’re really rare you know. You’re lucky! Where did you get him?”

“I got Bulba from Professor Oak.”

“You went to his Trainer School?” the teen asked with excitement.

Seth nodded. “The name’s Seth,” he said, holding out a hand.

“Oh!” The teen quickly shook the outstretched hand. “Richard,” he said.

The two talked for a moment, Richard excitedly explaining about how he had followed odd tracks in the forest to this point. “I guess they were your Bulbasaur’s tracks and not the herd’s,” he said a bit sheepishly. He gestured in the opposite way Seth came.

Seth shook his head. “No, I came from Viridian, not Pewter.”

Richard’s eyes lit up.

“Which means….”

Richard went back to the tracks in a rush, Seth barely following behind him. The duo followed the tracks deeper into the woods, Richard leading the way. Seth was impressed with how the teen tracked. “Are you from around here?” Seth asked.

“Born and raised in Pewter City,” he said proudly. “I spend a lot of time in these woods. I’ve tracked and watched most of the bug types in the forest. Did you know we’re starting to get ones from Johto?” he said excitedly. “Just the other day I saw a Spinark!”

Seth laughed. It was wild to hear about people getting excited about pokemon that were almost considered pests back home. Then again, Pikachu could also be considered a pest here he supposed. “So you collect bug types?” he asked.

Richard shrugged. “I guess you could say that. Most of my pokemon are bug types. Plus, it makes it easier to care for them when they all have the same sort of diet.”

The teens paused as they crested a hill they were climbing. Up ahead was a large clearing where light could shine through the treetop. Flowers were blooming here in mass. The blubs that hadn’t bloomed were huge, at least two feet in size, if not bigger. Petals were everywhere, lining the ground. The teens blinked. It wasn’t flowers blooming but Venusaurs. The two looked at each other and back towards the herd. Massive flowers were starting to bloom from the bulbs on the backs of the pokemon. 

Flowers of all shapes and sizes were blooming from their backs. This wasn’t a herd of Bulbasaurs but a herd of the entire family line. Giant stalks from Venusaurs cast shadows on the ground, causing some of the Ivysaurs to move out of them, to get more sunlight for their own flowers. Bulbasaurs ran through the clearing, playing with each other.

The teens hid in the tall grass, watching the sunbathing pokemon in silence. Seth pulled out his Pokedex and began to take pictures to show to Professor Oak. Richard just watched, his mouth open as wide as Seth’s. Neither teen expected to see such a sight.

And so they sat there as seconds turned to minutes, and watched the seed pokemon play.


	11. Chapter 11

_I’m not actually sure how long we stayed and watched the ‘Saur herd actually. After what seemed like hours, we finally pulled ourselves away and started to go back through the forest._

_Richard was going home, so he promised to escort me through the forest if I promised to send him the pictures of the herd. I promised him I would and I think he was as happy as I was when Pikachu decided to stay._

_Richard knew the ways through the forest and without him, I might have stumbled into the path of a Beedrill hive. Together we made our way through the forest without incident. As the trees began to get smaller, I knew we were almost there._

_Pewter City. The City where my first trial awaited._  
  
The grassy road turned to brick as Seth and Richard entered the gatehouse that separated Viridian Forest from Pewter City. Richard was still talking about the ‘Saur herd, causing Seth to grin. He was still amazed they had even seen something like that in Viridian Forest. He hadn’t even heard of Bulbasaurs living in the forest, much less Venusaurs!

Seth was making sure the pictures went to the Professor and make a note about the herd in the forest. He was proud of their discovery and was more than aware that he never would have found it without Richard’s help. So when Richard invited Seth over for the night, Seth happily agreed.

Richard led Seth to a house near the outskirts of Pewter City, just a short walk from Viridian Forest. Seth understood why Richard went to the forest so much. Living so close, Seth doubted he could resist the call. Back in Goldenrod City, he would go to the park to watch the Bug Catching Contests. If he had been old enough, he would have entered as well. It was always amazing to see the different bug types that people found in the park and the woods nearby.

Richard threw open the door to his home. “Mom! I’m back! And I made a friend!” he yelled as he kicked off his shoes. He grinned at Seth. “Tonight there will be stew. She makes the best stew! You’ll love it!”

Seth could smell the stew from the entry way. His stomach growled. They had definitely been out late and he hadn’t eaten since that morning with Blue.

Taking off his own shoes, Seth heard Richard’s mom come down the steps. “Welcome home!” she said. She went to give Richard a hug. “And a new friend! You never bring friends over.” She smiled at Seth and wiped her hands on her apron. “Sorry for the mess, I had no idea we were going to have company!” She gave Richard a look. Richard had the decency to look sheepish, but he shot Seth a grin.

Why did moms always say that? “It’s fine!” Seth said. He scanned the room. “Your house looks great!”

Richard’s mom brightened up. “Well thank you! Aren’t you sweet? Come in, come in!” She ushered both Richard and Seth into the dining room. “Sit down, sit down! The food is almost ready.”

Both teens sat down at the table, Richard shooting Seth a grin. Seth returned it as he pulled out his Pokedex to send his new friend pictures of the herd. As he did, the mom came back into the room and clapped her hands together. “Richard! You didn’t tell me your friend was from a trainer school! Tell me, how did you two meet? How long have you been friends?”

Richard started in on the story of how they met in the forest, conveniently forgetting about the part where he tried to catch Seth’s Bulbasaur. Seth grinned at the omission. He would have to remind him about that later. But for now, Seth had better things to focus on. Mainly this stew that Richard’s mom set in front of him. Grabbing his spoon, he began to hungrily eat it.

He listened to Richard explain how they had scoured the forest together, tracking the Bulbasaurs. How they narrowly escaped a nest of Beedrill. Seth grinned at that exaggeration. More like they just passed by it on their way out. But then he got to the herd.

Richard went in on the details here. He explored every leaf, every stem that they saw. He didn’t exaggerate here. He didn’t need to. Seth passed Richard’s mom his Pokedex, the pictures open on the device. She oohed and awed in all the right places, genuinely impressed.

“You boys really found something out there, didn’t you?” She said finally, passing the ‘Dex back to Seth. Seth nodded, his bowl empty.

“And when did you two meet?”

“Oh about two hours ago,” Seth said.

The mom laughed. “Ah to be young again,” she said. “But what brings you to Pewter City? Besides my boy,” she said with a laugh.

“I’m going to take on the League Challenge!” Seth said proudly.

Richard looked up with surprise. “Really?” he said excitedly. “You’re going to challenge Brock? Are you going to challenge him tonight?”

It was Seth’s turn to laugh. “Probably tomorrow.” It was already late and the last time he tangled with a Gym late at night was not something he wanted to repeat.

“You’ve got to let me come watch!” Richard said excitedly.

Seth wasn’t one to argue. It could be fun to have someone rooting for him. “Of course!” he said with another laugh.

Richard’s mom made up a bed on the couch for Seth. Seth thanked her for the place to rest for the night. Laying down, he couldn’t help but grin. He got to see something he doubted very many people got to see, and he made a new friend.

Tomorrow he would fight Brock, the Rock type Gym leader. And tomorrow, he would get his first badge. Of that he was sure.


	12. Chapter 12

Waking up early to the smell of fresh pancakes, Seth stretched out on the couch. Today was the day he challenged his first Gym and started off on his Pokemon League Challenge. And he was excited. He had barely slept the night before, dreams coursing through his head. What would happen he wondered? His team was ready. He had Bulba and Rex, each of which knew moves that should be super effective on Brock’s rock type pokemon. Pikachu wouldn’t really be useful sadly as many of Brock’s pokemon were also ground types. Or at least that’s what he had seen anytime he had seen Brock on television.

Getting off the couch, Seth changed clothes, out of his pajamas and back into his jeans and coat. He left his hat on the coffee table for now, as it was rude to eat with a hat on. Or so he had been taught. 

Going into the kitchen, he saw Richard was already awake as well. The slightly younger teen was talking excitedly to his mom. “I haven’t had a friend challenge a Gym before! This is going to be so awesome to watch!” he said.

Seth couldn’t help but grin as he sat down at the table. Richard’s mom placed a stack of pancakes in front of him and smiled. “This is the first step on your challenge isn’t it?” Seth nodded as he cut into the pancakes. 

“Yes it is. I’m a bit nervous but…” he patted the pokeballs on his belt. “I think my partners can handle it!”

Richard’s mom smiled. “Well good luck today! You’ll have to let me know how you do!” She grinned at Richard. “Though I’m sure I’ll hear all about it from Richard later even if you don’t.” Both teens laughed.

After devouring their pancakes, Seth excused himself to get his hat and his backpack. Putting them on, he checked his team again. “Are you guys ready?” he asked the pokeballs. Both Bulba and Rex looked on with what Seth could only interpret as determination. Pikachu nodded as well, seemingly knowing he was going to be sitting this one out. 

Nodding to himself, Seth placed the pokeballs back onto his belt. Richard came into the living room, a grin lighting up his face. “Are you ready Seth?” he asked excitedly. Seth simply nodded. “Come on, I can show you where the Gym is!”

Seth already knew but agreed anyways. It was nice to have someone excited for him. No reason to dampen that excitement. The duo waved goodbye to Richard’s mom, who wished Seth good luck once more. And with that, the duo headed off to the Pewter City Gym.

Pewter City was, oddly enough to Seth, seemingly bigger than Viridian City. Richard talked excitedly as he led Seth past the Pewter City Museum, noting they would have to check it out after Seth won his battle with Brock. Richard explained how he had challenged Brock before but it was rough fighting rock and ground types with just bugs. But he was proud of his team nonetheless. “Besides, once I evolve my metapod, Brock better watch out!” he said grinning.

Seth laughed. Butterfree might have a better time at it than any of the other bugs in the forest, he admitted. At least it could learn confusion, which should hit even those rockheads pretty hard. Beedrill, while intimidating, would have a hard time piercing those rocks even with the massive stingers on each of its arms.

Once they reached the Gym, they stopped. It was a massive stone building, easily the biggest in Pewter City. Truth be told, it was a bit intimidating. Richard looked at Seth and grinned before opening the door for him. Seth returned the smile and entered the Gym. 

Inside there were a few trainers milling about, their pokemon out. Each one was engaged in a different type of training. Was that a Geodude punching a speed bag? And a Graveler lifting stones as if they were weights? Off to one side of the Gym, a pair of Geodudes were trading punches in a pokemon battle.

Some of the trainers turned to look at the newcomers. One of them recognized Richard. “Oi, bug catcher!” she said with friendly familiarity. “Have you come back to challenge Brock again?”

Richard shook his head. “Not today! I still have some training to do!” he said.

“You know the offer still stands! You can train with us any time,” the girl said, still smiling. “What about your friend there? Has he come to train?”

Richard shook his head again. “Nope! _He’s_ come to challenge Brock this time!” he said proudly.

The girl whistled and came over to him. “Well, any friend of Dick here is a friend of mine. The name is Nina.” She wiped her hand on her green shorts, leaving a trail of dust. She offered it to Seth who shook it gladly.

“You sure you’re up to this?” She asked. “Dick here has challenge Brock oh…. How many times is it?”

“Ten…” Richard said sheepishly.

“Ten times! He’s actually beaten Brock’s first pokemon but never his Ace,” Nina said, a bit of pride in her voice. “Our Gym Leader is really something special.”

“Oh Nina, please stop with the flattery,” said a voice behind them. All three of the teens turned to see a dark man walk up behind them. He smiled softly. “It really doesn’t suit either of us.” 

Nina’s eyes went wide. “Oh, Brock!” she exclaimed. Brock crossed his arms, a soft smile on his lips. “This newcomer wants to challenge you!”

Brock eyed Seth. “How many Gyms have you challenged?” he asked simply.

“You’re my first,” Seth said.

Brock smile widened. “Excellent! I have to warn you, my willpower is evident even in my pokemon. They’re all rock hard and have true grit determination. Are you ready to face the Rock Specialist?”

Seth returned the smile and nodded. 

Brock nodded and turned to face the Gym. “Trainers!” He called out. “We have a challenger! I need you to clear the Gym floor!”

There was a flurry of movement as those Brock was training moved off the floor. Seth noticed that there was a large rectangle on the rocky floor. Large stones jutted from the floor, and in the center of the room, smaller stones seemed to make a circle. Seth realized it was an arena for Gym battles.

Off to the sides, he saw the trainers who were previously working out their pokemon take seats along the walls. Seth was going to have a larger audience than he had previously thought. Richard had joined them, a huge grin plastered on his face. Nina laughed as she sat next to him.

Brock meanwhile had walked to a pillar off to the side of the room and pulled out two pokeballs. “Since this is your first Gym Challenge, I’ll fight you with these two pokemon.” He said simply. “Are you ready?”

Seth turned his cap backwards and shrugged off his backpack before nodding. He moved his backpack towards the wall so it was out of the way. He wanted to be able to move during this fight. 

“Show me your best. Go! Geodude!”

“Rex, I choose you!”

The rock type pokemon floated a foot above the ground and stared down the poison point pokemon. There was no movement for a moment before Nina yelled out “Start!”

There was a flurry of movement as Rex ran at the Geodude, trying to get close. Geodude flung itself at Rex, both of its fists raised. It punched at Rex. Seth yelled out “Double kick!” 

Rex rose on his front legs and kicked with both legs. The two pokemon traded blows. It was apparent that Geodude took the worst of it, the kick throwing the rock backwards. Rex skidded as well. On the wall behind Brock, Seth noticed that there was a sprite of both of their pokemon, a health bar alongside the sprite. He watched the health bar of Brock’s Geodude go halfway down.

“Kick him again Rex!” Seth called out.

Rex ran at Geodude, dodging between rocks on the ground. “Geodude! Defense Curl!” Brock yelled. Rex leapt up and kicked out at the Geodude again, who crossed both its arms across itself. The health bar only went down another quarter. “Now! Counter with a tackle!”

The Geodude punched out at Rex as the poison pokemon landed. The health bar slid down a quarter. Rex kicked out again in defiance, striking Geodude in the face. It cried out as its health bar depleted. There was a roar from the crowd.

Seth didn’t really hear it. His heart was beating in his head. Sure he had fought during training school, but that was training. Here he was, starting his League Challenge. And he had just beaten one of Brock’s pokemon without really taking much damage at all.

“Geodude, return!” Brock yelled. The Geodude disappeared in a burst of light. “Good job Geodude. You did great.” Brock looked back at Seth, his smile gone. “Now, go! Onix!”

It didn’t take Seth long to see why the Gym was so large. A massive snake made up of individual stones roared into existence, its head almost touching the roof. It roared again, looking down at the tiny Rex. Seth swallowed. No one Richard hadn’t defeated Brock yet.

“Rex, go in for another kick!” he called out. Rex nodded, running at the giant rock snake.

“Onix. Bind.” Brock said simply.

The snake roared as it moved far faster than Seth thought something so large could move. Rex kicked out as soon as the face got close. The health bar went down slightly. Onix, on the other hand, wrapped around the small poison type, trapping him. Onix began to squeeze. Rex cried out in pain as his health bar dropped rapidly. Before it could deplete completely, Seth yelled “Return!” and recalled Rex in a burst of light. The empty space where Rex previously was then met by grinding stones.

“Bulba! You got this!” Seth yelled running forward and throwing his pokeball. It bounced once and burst open in a flash of light. Bulbasaur roared himself, looking up at the giant Onix. The Onix lowered its head to the ground before throwing its head up in Bulba’s direction. Rocks flew at the seed pokemon.

Vines raced out from the seed pokemon’s bulb and slapped the some of the rocks off to the side of the room. Bulbasaur jumped to the side as one landed right next to him. “Again!” Brock called out

“Bulbasaur! Sleep powder!” Seth called out.

Bulbasaur nodded, its small bulb opening slightly. A stream of powder puffed out of the bulb and wafted toward the now diving snake. The powder stuck to its face. Slamming on the ground once, it launched another few stones at Bulba before wavering. After a moment, it fell to the ground, a large snore erupting from its mouth.

Bulbasaur smacked a few of the stones out of the air with his vines again, but this time a few of them met their mark. They did not, however, pin him to the ground like Brock was hoping. Racing forward but noticeably slower, Bulba ran towards the Onix, vines racing out of the bulb again. They struck Onix on the face one. Twice. Again and again, getting in what hits he could while the Onix was out of commission.

“Enough!” Brock called out, recalling Onix. His frown broke into a small tight smile as Seth’s heart finally calmed down. He could hear the crowd cheering, Richard in particular who was hooting and hollering. 

“Your pokemon’s powerful attacks overcame my rock hard defense…” Brock said, walking across the battlefield. He reached into his shirt pocket. “You’re stronger than I expected! Go ahead, take this Boulder Badge!” He offered it out to Seth.

Seth looked at the badge and then back up at Brock. His face broke into a huge smile as he took the badge and shook Brock’s hand. “Thank you!” he said.

“Also, take this!” Brock reached into his cargo pants and pulled out a TM. “This is TM39, Rock Tomb. It’s a move Onix was using. It will throw rocks to trap your pokemon and lower their speed.” 

“Thank you so much Brock!” Seth said as he opened his pokedex and placed the badge inside. 

“You have a pokedex?” Brock asked, slightly surprised. Seth offered it to him. “A student from the Professor. No wonder you were so strong!” Brock laughed. 

“Your pokemon journey has started off with a smashing success! I wish you luck in your next trial!” Brock said before turning to face his trainers. “The floor is open!”

Richard raced down to Seth and jumped on him, hugging him. “That was amazing!” he shouted. “You were so good!”

“I’ve never seen someone successfully put Onix asleep,” Nina said joining them. “Good job trainer.”

Richard was going on and on about the fight, talking mostly with his hands as he reenacted it as they left the Gym. “You gotta take me with you to the next Gym! That was so cool!” They headed to the Pokemon Center to heal up, Seth still in a bit of disbelief. Disbelief he had actually won. That his journey was finally starting. And he would have a friend joining him!

If his mom let him, of course.


End file.
